Appropriate Assessment - North Solent Shoreline Management Plan

142 Pages·2010·5.84 MB·English

by  Malgosia Gorczynska

North Solent
Shoreline Management Plan
Appendix J: Appropriate Assessment

North Solent Shoreline Management Plan Appendix J Appropriate Assessment
Contents Page No
J1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................1
J1.1 Background..........................................................................................1
J1.2 Role of Organisations in the Appropriate Assessment Process............8
J1.2.1 Competent Authority......................................................................8
J1.2.2 Natural England.............................................................................8
J1.2.3 Secretary of State..........................................................................9
J1.3 Requirement of an Appropriate Assessment for the North Solent SMP9
J1.4 Aim of this report ..................................................................................9
J1.5 Structure of report.................................................................................9
J2 OVERARCHING METHOD.......................................................................10
J2.1 Introduction.........................................................................................10
J2.2 Guidance............................................................................................10
J2.3 Appropriate Assessment process.......................................................11
J2.3.1 Stage 1 Screening and Scoping...................................................12
J2.3.2 Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment.................................................13
J2.3.3 Stage 3 Approval or refusal of the plan........................................13
J2.4 Public consultation of SMP.................................................................14
J2.5 Scale of assessment ..........................................................................14
J2.5.1 SMP habitat groups .....................................................................15
J2.5.2 Scale of assessment summary....................................................21
J3 STAGE 1: BACKGROUND TO EUROPEAN SITES................................24
J3.1 New Forest SPA.................................................................................24
J3.2 Solent and Southampton Water SPA .................................................25
J3.3 Portsmouth Harbour SPA...................................................................27
J3.4 Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA..........................................28
J3.5 Pagham Harbour SPA........................................................................29
J3.6 New Forest Ramsar............................................................................31
J3.7 Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar............................................32
J3.8 Portsmouth Harbour Ramsar site.......................................................34
J3.9 Chichester and Langstone Harbours Ramsar site..............................35
J3.10 Pagham Harbour Ramsar site..........................................................37
J3.11 Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons SAC.............................................38
J3.12 Solent Maritime SAC........................................................................39
J3.13 River Itchen SAC..............................................................................41
J3.14 New Forest SAC...............................................................................42
J4 STAGE 1: ASSESSMENT OF LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT..............44
J4.1 Scope of assessment for SMP policies ..............................................44
J4.2 Scoping the European Sites for the AA..............................................46
J5 STAGE 2: APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT.............................................52
J5.1 Introduction.........................................................................................52
J5.2 Methodology and data........................................................................52
J5.2.1 Intertidal habitats..........................................................................53
J5.2.2 Coastal grazing marsh, freshwater habitats and saline lagoons..58
J5.2.3 Wader and wildfowl feeding and high water roost sites ...............58
5.2.4 Coastal sand dunes, coastal vegetated shingle, unvegetated
shingle, estuaries and rivers...................................................................59
5.2.5 “At risk” habitats and function........................................................59
J5.3 Solent and Southampton Water SPA and Ramsar site ......................60
J5.4 Portsmouth SPA and Ramsar site......................................................68
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North Solent Shoreline Management Plan Appendix J Appropriate Assessment
J5.5 Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA and Ramsar site...............74
J5.6 Pagham SPA and Ramsar site...........................................................81
J5.7 Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons SAC...............................................81
J5.8 Solent Maritime SAC.........................................................................82
J5.9 Summary of habitat change for the whole plan...................................86
J5.9.1 Total SPA and Ramsar habitat change........................................87
J5.10 Final summary for the whole plan.....................................................95
J5.10.1 Mitigation....................................................................................95
J5.11 “In combination” assessment............................................................97
J6 STAGE 3: APPROVAL OR REFUSAL OF PLAN....................................98
J6.1 Alternatives.........................................................................................98
J6.2 Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest..............................99
J6.3 Compensation requirements for the plan.........................................100
J6.3.1 Compensation opportunities.....................................................102
J6.4 Cumulative assessment with Isle of Wight SMP..............................103
J7 ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS........................................................105
J7.1 Potential managed re-alignment sites considered in draft SMP and
Appropriate Assessment..........................................................................105
J7.2 Potential risk to the plan...................................................................107
J7.2.1 Habitat change..........................................................................107
J7.2.2 Feeding and High tide roost sites..............................................108
J8 LIMITATIONS AND FURTHER WORK..................................................110
J8.1.1 Assumptions and limitations..........................................................110
J8.1.2 Further studies...............................................................................110
J8 REFERENCES........................................................................................111
ANNEX J1: LETTERS FROM NATURAL ENGLAND.................................112
ANNEX J2: JONATHAN COX ASSOCIATES ASSESSMENT ....................117
List of Tables
Table J2.1 Stages and tasks of Appropriate Assessment process 12
Table J2.2 SPA interest features, habitats and impacts to be assessed 18
Table J2.3 Ramsar interest features, habitats and impacts to be 20
assessed
Table J2.4 SAC interest features, habitats and impacts to be assessed 21
Table J2.5 Scale, stages and level of detail required at SMP, CDS and 22
Scheme level
Table J2.6 Habitats and impacts to be assessed 23
Table J4.1 Potential impacts of the SMP policies on ‘SMP habitat 45
groupings’
Table J4.2 European sites to include in the Appropriate Assessment 51
Table J5.1 Summary of methods and data used to assess the impact 53
on each SMP habitat group
Table J5.2 Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar interest features, 60
habitats and impacts to be assessed
Table J5.3 Solent and Southampton Water SPA interest features, 61
habitats and impacts to be assessed
Table J5.4 SMP habitat grouping and impact to be assessed for 62
Solent and Southampton Water SPA and Ramsar site
Table J5.5 Final policies per policy unit, per epoch for Solent and 63
Southampton Water SPA and Ramsar site
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Table J5.6 Habitat and bird function losses and gains in the Solent 64
and Southampton Water SPA and Ramsar
Table J5.7 Feeding and roost site losses in the Solent and 67
Southampton Water SPA and Ramsar
Table J5.8 Portsmouth Harbour Ramsar interest features, habitats and 68
impacts to be assessed
Table J5.9 Interest features, habitats and impacts to be assessed for 69
Portsmouth SPA
Table J5.10 SMP habitat grouping and impact to be assessed for 70
Portsmouth Harbour SPA and Ramsar site
Table J5.11 Final policies per policy unit, per epoch for Portsmouth 70
Harbour SPA and Ramsar site
Table J5.12 Habitat and bird function losses and gains in the 71
Portsmouth Harbour SPA and Ramsar
Table J5.13 Chichester and Langstone Ramsar interest features, 72
habitats and impacts to be assessed
Table J5.14 Chichester and Langstone Ramsar interest features, 74
habitats and impacts to be assessed
Table J5.15 Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA interest features, 75
habitats and impacts to be assessed
Table J5.16 SMP habitat grouping and impact to be assessed for 76
Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA and Ramsar
Table J5.17 Final policies per policy unit, per epoch for Chichester and 77
Langstone Harbours SPA and Ramsar site
Table J5.18 Habitat and bird function losses and gains in the 78
Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA and Ramsar
Table J5.19 Feeding and roost losses in the Chichester and Langstone 80
Harbours SPA and Ramsar
Table J5.20 Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons SAC interest features, 81
habitats and impacts to be assessed
Table J5.21 Solent Maritime SAC interest features, habitats and 82
impacts to be assessed
Table J5.22 Solent Maritime SAC SMP habitat grouping and impact to 82
be assessed
Table J5.23 Habitat change in the Solent Maritime SAC 83
Table J5.24 Total habitat and bird function change for SMP habitat 86
groupings across the SMP
Table J5.25 Total SPA and Ramsar change across the SMP 88
Table J2.26 Feeding and roost site losses in the Solent and 91
Southampton Water SPA and Ramsar, Portsmouth
Harbour SPA/Ramsar and Chichester and Langstone
SPA/Ramsar
Table J5.27 Adverse effect for SMP habitat groupings for the whole 95
plan
Table J5.28 Intertidal habitat available for mitigation within each 96
designated site
Table J6.1 Compensation requirements for each European site over 101
100 years
Table J6.2 Habitat compensation requirements for the North Solent 101
SMP
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Table J6.3 Intertidal compensation opportunities within North Solent 102
SMP
Table J6.4 North Solent SMP and Isle of Wight SMP cumulative 103
losses and gains for the Solent and Southampton Water
SPA and Ramsar and the Solent Maritime SAC.
Table J7.1 Potential private intertidal creation sites 105
Table J7.2 Potential intertidal creation sites which require further 105
detailed studies
Table J7.3 Losses to designated habitats behind privately maintained 107
defences
Table J7.4 Losses to designated habitats behind frontages where 107
further studies are required to determine a MR policy
Table J7.5 Feeding and roost site losses in the Solent and 108
Southampton Water SPA and Ramsar and Chichester and
Langstone Harbours SPA and Ramsar
Table J7.6 Feeding and roost site losses in the Chichester and 109
Langstone Harbours SPA and Ramsar
List of Figures
Figure J1.1 Coastal Biodiversity Action Plan habitats across the north 2
Solent (SDCP, 2008)
Figure J1.2 Defence types across north Solent 3
Figure J1.3 Final policies for epoch 1 4
Figure J1.4 Final policies for epoch 2 5
Figure J1.5 Final policies for epoch 3 6
Figure J2.1 Flow Chart showing Appropriate Assessment process 11
taken from European Commission (2001) ‘Assessment of
plans and projects significantly affecting Natura 2000
sites’
Figure J3.1 New Forest SPA 25
Figure J3.2 Solent and Southampton Water SPA 26
Figure J3.3 Portsmouth Harbour SPA 28
Figure J3.4 Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA 29
Figure J3.5 Pagham Harbour SPA 30
Figure J3.6 New Forest Ramsar site 31
Figure J3.7 Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site 33
Figure J3.8 Portsmouth Harbour Ramsar 34
Figure J3.9 Chichester and Langstone Harbours Ramsar site 36
Figure J3.10 Pagham Harbour Ramsar site 37
Figure J3.11 Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons SAC 39
Figure J3.12 Solent Maritime SAC 40
Figure J3.13 River Itchen SAC 41
Figure J3.14 New Forest SAC 43
Figure J5.1 Changing saltmarsh extent in Langstone Harbour from 54
historical aerial photography (Cope et al., 2007)
Figure J5.2 “Existing” and “potential” intertidal habitat at Langstone 54
Harbour, 2005, using lidar and tidal elevation
interpretation (Cope et al., 2007)
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North Solent Shoreline Management Plan Appendix J Appropriate Assessment
Figure J5.3 MR and NAI sites across the SPA and Ramsar sites, split 56
into mitigation and compensation opportunities
Figure J5.4 MR and NAI sites across the Solent Maritime SAC, split 57
into mitigation and compensation opportunities
Figure J5.5 Brent geese and wildfowl feeding and high tide roost sites 92
within the North Solent SMP study area
Figure J5.6 Wader high tide roost sites within the North Solent SMP 93
study area
Figure J7.1 Inter-tidal habitat creation opportunities from the DRAFT 106
SMP and Appropriate Assessment
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North Solent Shoreline Management Plan Appendix J Appropriate Assessment
The Supporting Appendices
All information used to support the Shoreline Management Plan is contained
in a series of Appendices. In this way there is clarity in the decision-making
process and the rationale behind the policies being promoted is both
transparent and auditable. The appendices are:
Appendix Subject Detail
A SMP Reports the history of development of the SMP,
Development describing fully the plan and policy decision-making
process
B Stakeholder All communications from the stakeholder process are
Engagement provided here, together with information arising from
the consultation process
C Baseline Includes a baseline process report, defence
Process assessment, NAI and WPM assessments and
Understanding summarises data used in assessments
D Theme This report identifies and evaluates the environmental
Review features (human, natural, historical and landscape)
E Issues & Provides information on the issues and objectives
Objective identified as part of the Plan development, including
Evaluation appraisal of their importance
F Initial Policy Presents the consideration of generic policy options for
Appraisal & each frontage, identifying possible acceptable policies,
Scenario and their combination into ‘scenarios’ for testing
Development
G Scenario Presents the policy assessment and appraisal of
Testing objective achievement towards definition of the
Preferred Plan
H Economic Presents the economic analysis undertaken in support
Appraisal & of the Preferred Plan
Sensitivity
Testing
I Metadatabase All supporting information used to develop the SMP is
and referenced for future retrieval and examination
Bibliographic
database
J Appropriate Presents an assessment of the effect the plan will
Assessment have on European sites.
K Strategic Presents the various items undertaken in developing
Environmental the Plan specifically related to the requirements of the
Assessment EU Council Directive 2001/42/EC (Strategic
Environmental Assessment Directive)
L Water Presents an assessment of the implications of the
Framework Water Framework Directive
Directive
Assessment
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The broad relationships between the appendices are as below:
SMP Development
(Appendix A)
Shoreline Processes Stakeholder Engagement
(Appendices C & G) (Appendix B)
Issues & Objective Definition
(Appendices D & E)
Scenario Development
(Appendix F)
Scenario Testing
(Appendix G)
Economics & Sensitivities
(Appendix H)
Appropriate Assessment Draft & final SMP documents Strategic Environmental
(Appendix J) Assessment (Appendix K)
Water Framework Directive
Assessment (Appendix L)
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J1 INTRODUCTION
J1.1 Background
The North Solent Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) covers the 386km
shoreline from Selsey Bill to Hurst Spit including Southampton Water,
Portsmouth, Langstone and Chichester Harbours. The study area supports a
wide variety of important ecological systems, habitats and species which are
protected by multiple international, national and local designations (Figure
J1.1 and Section J3). Approximately 294km (76%) of the North Solent
frontage is protected from tidal flooding and coastal erosion (Figure J1.2),
although 74% of these defences will reach the end of their residual life in the
next 20 years. In addition, approximately 60% of the North Solent shoreline
frontage is privately maintained.
The vast majority of the north Solent defences are fronted and/or backed by
European designated sites, therefore the North Solent SMP policies (Figures
J1.3, J1.4, and J1.5) will have some form of significant effect upon these
designated habitats whether defences are held or re-aligned, thereby
triggering the requirement for an Appropriate Assessment. In addition, the
north Solent has a highly developed residential area, is rich in heritage, and is
a popular recreational and tourist attraction. The diversity of pressures on the
shoreline results in an extremely difficult stretch of coastline to manage at a
strategic level. All of these factors aswell as economic (Appendix H of main
SMP document) and environmental considerations have been assessed in the
policy appraisal process (Appendix D, E, F and G of main SMP document) to
provide the most sustainable shoreline policies over the next 100 years
(Figures J1.3, J1.4 and J1.5).
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